Grip for a striking implement

ABSTRACT

A replaceable grip for a lacrosse stick includes a sleeve having a first end portion, a second end portion, an outer surface, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The first end portion has an opening formed therein that extends toward the second end portion, and the opening is configured for receiving an end portion of a lacrosse stick. The outer surface includes a slanted region having an angle in the range of 1-15 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/368,624, filed Dec. 4, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62/288,057, filed Jan. 28, 2016, and 62/262,946, filed Dec. 4, 2015, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The subject matter of this application pertains to devices and methods to enhance a hitter's comfort and power when swinging a striking implement such as a baseball bat. More precisely, the subject matter of this application pertains to additions and enhancements that can be used to modify a hitter's experience to approximate the effect of swinging an asymmetrical handle such as that of an axe. Even more precisely, the subject matter of this application pertains to devices and materials that attach to a striking implement and which allow the user to maintain a neutral wrist position when using said implement.

BACKGROUND

At one point in time it was common for baseball players to carve their own bats out of nearly any type of available wood. Players would try to customize their bat to best compliment their swinging style and to capitalize on some benefit, real or imagined, to come from a certain style or shape of bat.

Eventually, manufactures took over the market and players stopped whittling their own bats, preferring to buy finished bats instead of taking the time to craft their own. Partially due to manufacturing efficiencies, the shape of baseball bats were standardized to be symmetrical along the bat's longitudinal axis which allowed them to be turned on a lathe in a tiny fraction of the time required to carve one by hand.

Organized baseball also obviously played a hand in standardizing the bat which is required under current Major League Baseball rule 3.02(a) to “be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length” and be made from one piece of solid wood.

Although the standards and regulations in major league baseball may be inflexible, there is still room for experimentation on unregulated aspects. Most germane to the subject matter of this application is Major League Baseball rule 3.02(c) which provides that “the bat handle . . . may be covered be covered or treated with any material or substance . . . .” Further, minor leagues can have their own regulations, as can any other regulated body, and there is nothing to prevent individuals from experimenting with any bat design they can create.

Ted Williams, perhaps the greatest hitter who ever lived, wrote in his 1970 book The Science of Hitting that “swinging a bat is like swinging an axe” explaining “[w]here is the hand position at point of impact? Square and unbroken, that's where, just as when you hit a tree with an axe.” His statement was not a mere quip, and he was known to train in the off-season with axes. Unlike symmetrical bats, a cross section of an axe-handle is elliptical. This shape is closer to the curve of a hand gripping the handle and increases user comfort. Further, the bottom of axe handles are often curved in an ergonomic manner so that the user's wrist does not need to bend to hold the handle.

The study of ergonomics tells us for maximal comfort and power, the hitter's wrist should be kept neutral such that the wrist is in straight alignment with the forearm. However, if one holds a bat with a neutral wrist, an obtuse angle of approximately 113° is formed between the forearm and the bat due to the natural slant of a person's hand. In order for a hitter to hold the bat in the position best suited for hitting a ball, the angle between the bat and the forearm should be 90°. This discrepancy forces the hitter to bend their wrist towards their radius bone (radial deviation). The combination of a deviated wrist and the forces generated by hitting something with a bat or axe will not only cause discomfort, but can also injure the athlete. In particular, the combination of radial deviation and swinging a bat can fracture the hamate bone in the wrist, located at the base of the fifth metacarpal (the little finger). The hamate bone is further at risk due to the batter's hand being driven into the knob of a traditional bat at the end of their swing.

These points were not missed on inventors who have worked to protect axe-handled bats as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 8,845,462; U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,930; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,545.

Although such bats are available and gaining popularity, there are still barriers to wide acceptance. For one, the bats require more manufacturing finesse than the creation of a simple lathe turned bat which increases their price. The price increase may not be a concern for major league players, but can be significant for others. Also, axe-handled bats are not anywhere near as available as more standard bats so replacing a broken bat is not as simple as taking a trip to nearly any department store or mall. Further, a professional player may not be able to change to a new brand of bat without risking an endorsement deal from a bat manufacturer.

The problems with forcefully swinging a striking implement held with a radially deviated wrist are not limited to baseball bats, and methods or devices to help a user maintain a neutral wrist in other activities are desired. For example, users of such diverse implements as cricket bats, lacrosse sticks, hammers, and barbells, et al., may benefit from a neutral wrist grip.

SUMMARY

The subject matter of this application is related to devices and methods which modify striking implements, particularly standard baseball bats to approximate the feel and effect of an axe-handled bat. In particular, the subject matter of this application pertains to grips that can be used on bats, clubs, and other striking implements to increase the user's comfort, lessen the possibility of injury, and increase the power capable of being transferred to the ball or other object being struck.

One objective of the subject matter of this application is to provide an ergonomic grip that an end user can use with standard striking implements. Another objective is to provide an ergonomic grip that can be added to striking implements during manufacture. Another objective of the subject matter of this application is to provide an angled ergonometric grip with an apex near the user's little finger when in use. Yet another objective of the subject matter of this application is to provide an ergonomic grip for a striking implement that allows the user to maintain a neutral wrist position while holding the implement at approximately 109° relative to the user's forearm.

The subject matter of this application meet the objectives. The disclosed grips are angled so that the user can hold a bat or similar object so said bat is approximately 109° from the user's forearm without the need to bend the wrist towards the radius. Certain of the disclosed embodiments can be used with standard baseball bats which have a knob on the bottom of the handle. Other disclosed embodiments may be placed on a bat during manufacture or with a bat not having a knob.

Broadly speaking, the embodiments of the subject matter of this application can be discussed as wedges and sleeves and will be discussed together or separately as needed.

The wedge embodiment comprises a wedge having a channel running along it's longitudinal axis which is placed onto a standard bat's lower handle. A strip of tape or other fixative holds the wedge to the bat while grip tape, or similar, is wound around the wedge and bat, further securing the subject matter of this application.

The sleeve embodiments comprise a tube of material such as a rubber or plastic having a circular internal diameter and an outer surface that is angled to support the wrist as discussed. Certain embodiments of the sleeve can be stretched over a baseball bat's knob, while other embodiments are placed on knob-less bats and optimally, glued or fused to the bat to prevent a batter being left with a handle in their hands as a wooden projectile flies towards the infield.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a view of the wedge embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a view of the wedge of FIG. 1 from the underside of the wedge.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the wedge of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the wedge of FIG. 1 as it is placed on a baseball bat when in use.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the bat/wedge complex at the level of the indicated cross section on FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates the sleeve embodiment of the subject matter of this application.

FIG. 7 is another view of the sleeve embodiment shown in FIG. 6, showing the sleeve is a tube with two openings.

FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are different views of another sleeve embodiment in which one end of the sleeve is closed and the other end is open.

FIGS. 12, 13, 14, and 15 are different views of yet another sleeve embodiment in which one end of the sleeve is closed and the other end is open.

FIG. 16 illustrates a baseball bat comprising a sleeve embodiment of the subject matter of this application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description and referenced drawings illustrate embodiments of the application's subject matter. They are not intended to limit the scope. Those familiar with the art will recognize that other embodiments of the disclosed method are possible. All such alternative embodiments should be considered within the scope of the application's claims.

Each reference number consists of three digits. The first digit corresponds to the number of the figure in which that reference number is first shown. Reference numbers are not necessarily discussed in the order of their appearance in the figures.

The figures are not necessarily to scale and aspects may be exaggerated to more clearly demonstrate important features.

For simplicity, the subject matter of this application is described in the context of baseball, although the embodiments disclosed may be useful in other activities. Accordingly, the use of baseball terminology should not be necessarily be used to interpret the claims. Therefore, the word “bat” shall be understood to mean not only a baseball bat, but also other sporting good bats, clubs, and sticks as well as other similarly handled clubs and sticks such as hammers and barbells. Further, although the user may be described as a batter or hitter such terms should be understood to include any user.

A baseball bat (201) has a longitudinal axis (202), a transverse axis (203) having a radius (209), a surface (204), a top terminus (205), a handle portion (206), and a bottom terminus (207). Further, nearly all commercially available bats further comprise a knob (208) located near the bottom terminus.

In a normal batting position, the hitter holds a bat with the small finger of his non-dominant hand near the bottom terminus of the bat and his dominant hand just towards the top terminus of the bat. The batter's hands may be touching or not. We have observed that most users hold a bat so that the longitudinal axis of the non-dominant forearm forms an approximate 109° angle with the bat when the user is in batting position. In order to obtain this angle, the user must radially bend their wrist from it's neutral position, potentially increasing the risk of stress-injuries, particularly to the hamate bone.

The wedge embodiment of the subject matter of this application (101) has a longitudinal axis (102), a transverse axis (103), a top terminus (104), a bottom terminus (105), a length extending from the bottom terminus to the top terminus parallel to said longitudinal axis, an outer surface (106), and an inner surface (107). The outer surface further comprises a slant (108) having an apex (109) near the bottom terminus of the wedge and a nadir (110) near the top terminus of the wedge. Said inner surface is a semi-circular trench with a radius (210) substantially the same as the radius of the transverse section of the handle of the bat so that at least 80% of inner surface of the wedge contacts the outer surface of the bat when the wedge is placed against the handle of the bat. The slant further comprises an angle (111) having a vertex at said nadir and comprised of a first ray extending from the nadir of the slant to the apex of the slant and a second ray parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wedge. Said angle may be between 1 and 15 degrees, more preferably the angle is between 3 and 10 degrees, yet more preferably the angle is between 4 and 8 degrees, and most preferably the angle is 6-7 degrees. The wedge also comprises a length (112) which is approximately equal to the width of a user's hand.

Said inner surface may comprise an attachment means (113). Most preferred embodiments of the attachment means are a sticky substance such as a glue or tape and are covered until use with a removable shield.

To use the wedge one would removed the shield covering the sticky substance, if present, and press the inner surface of the wedge against the handle portion of a bat so that the bottom terminus of the wedge is located at or near the bottom terminus of the bat. In most commercially available bats this placement would result in the bottom terminus of the wedge abutting the knob of the bat. Tape may be wound around the wedge and the bat to hold them together.

A batter using a wedge-equipped bat may slide the fingers of their non-dominant hand towards the top or bottom terminus of the wedge until the position of their fingers is such that the bat is held at between 95° and 120° relative to their non-dominant forearm while their wrist is in its neutral position, in alignment with the forearm. More preferably this angle formed by the bat and the user's forearm is between 100° and 115°. Most preferably this angle formed by the bat and the user's forearm is 108-110°. We have determined that the above disclosed wedge with an apex of approximately 0.5 inches from the surface of the bat is adequate for most users to find a wrist neutral position holding a bat at the preferred angle from the user's forearm. The user's dominant hand is then also placed into the user's preferred location along the handle of the bat.

A wedge having an angle greater than 9° with a vertex proximal to the bottom terminus of the wedge, but also with a maximum height of around 0.5 inch from the surface of the bat may also accommodate most users.

The sleeve embodiments of the subject matter of this application comprise a longitudinal axis (301), a transverse axis (302), a top terminus (303), a bottom terminus (304), an outer surface (305), and an inner surface (306) defining a lumen having a diameter consistent across said lumen. The outer surface further comprises a primary slant (401) having an apex (402) near the bottom terminus of the wedge and a nadir (403) distal to the bottom terminus of the wedge. Said sleeve is a tube having at least one open end. Those sleeves having one open end have said open end (307) at the sleeve's top terminus. The diameter of the lumen is large enough so that the sleeve may be placed onto the handle of a bat. The sleeve may be comprised of a material capable of being stretched, such as a rubber, or may be made of a rigid material such as a hardened plastic or wood.

The primary slant further comprises an angle having a vertex and comprised of the ray extending from the nadir of the slant to the apex of the slant and the ray of the longitudinal axis of the wedge. Said angle may be between 1 and 15 degrees, more preferably the angle is between 3 and 10 degrees, yet more preferably the angle is between 4 and 8 degrees, and most preferably the angle is 6-7 degrees.

In a preferred embodiment of the sleeve, the sleeve comprises a first open end (307) and a second open end (308). This embodiment may be stretched over the knob of a bat and placed into position on the handle of the bat so that they bottom terminus of the sleeve is located near the bottom terminus of the bat. This embodiment may further comprise a plurality of holes (309) extending predominantly through the sleeve. The holes, if present, are stress relief points which decrease the amount of force necessary to stretch the sleeve over the knob and onto the handle of the bat.

Another preferred embodiment of the sleeve comprises a single open end (307) located at the top terminus of the sleeve. Single-open end embodiments of the sleeve may be placed on a bat without a knob. For example, a manufacturer could have sleeves molded out of a sturdy plastic and place them on a wooden bat machined without a knob using a glue and friction between the handle of the bat and the lumen of the sleeve to fix the sleeve to the bat. Additionally, an end user could cut the knob off a standard bat and affix the sleeve in a similar manner. Further, a sleeve may comprise one or more holes though which a user could drive a screw into the bat to prevent the sleeve and bat separating.

A batter using a sleeve-equipped bat may slide the fingers of their non-dominant hand towards the top or bottom terminus of the sleeve until the position of their fingers is such that the bat is held at between 95° and 120° relative to their non-dominant forearm while their wrist is in its neutral position, in alignment with the forearm. More preferably this angle formed by the bat and the user's forearm is between 100° and 115°. Most preferably this angle formed by the bat and the user's forearm is 108-110°. We have determined that the above disclosed wedge with an apex of approximately 0.5 inches from the surface of the bat is adequate for most users to find a wrist neutral position holding a bat at the preferred angle from the user's forearm. The user's dominant hand is then also placed into the user's preferred location along the handle of the bat.

Sleeves attached to bats without a knob may further comprise a secondary slanted region (501) between the bottom terminus of the sleeve and the nadir of the primary slant to approximate the familiar sensation of gripping a bat with a knob and to serve as a tactile indicator of the bat's bottom terminus.

The primary objective of the subject matter of this application is to reduce or eliminate the radial displacement of the user's non-dominant hand when holding a bat in a normal batting position. Reduction of this angle provides a more ergonomic batting experience to the hitter which may reduce injury while increasing power. Another objective of the subject matter of this application is to accomplish the primary objective in a way that can be adopted for use with nearly any bat available to the hitter, and in a way that does not conflict with current regulations by any baseball or softball organization known to the inventor.

The subject matter of this application fulfills these objectives. The subject matter of this application may also be used with other striking implements including other sporting goods and other objects which are typically require the user to radially displace their wrist to hold the implement in position, such as hammers or barbells.

The angles discussed in this application pertain to our observations of hitters holding a baseball bat, although the subject matter of this application can be used with other objects that would otherwise require radial displacement to be held in position. 

1. A removable grip for a lacrosse stick, comprising: a sleeve having a first end portion, a second end portion, an outer surface, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first end portion has an opening formed therein that extends toward the second end portion, and wherein the opening is configured for receiving an end portion of a lacrosse stick, and wherein the outer surface includes a slanted region having an angle in the range of 1-15 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis.
 2. The removable grip of claim 1, wherein the slanted region is configured to position a user's forearm at an approximately 23-degree angle relative to a transverse axis of the lacrosse stick at a location in which the user's hand contacts the lacrosse stick.
 3. The removable grip of claim 2, wherein: the sleeve further comprises a plurality of holes formed therein, and the holes extend from the outer surface of the sleeve to an inner surface of the sleeve; the inner surface includes an adhesive coating thereto; and the second end portion of the sleeve further comprises a knob portion with a secondary slanted region, and the secondary slanted region has an angle relative to the longitudinal axis that is greater than the angle of the slanted region. 